In the field of oil and gas exploration and production, it is common to provide ring members on longitudinal tools, bodies, tubulars or mandrels. Typically, ring members are sized to be slipped on to the tubular or mandrel and moved longitudinally into the desired position where they are secured to the body. A typical function of a ring member is to prevent or restrict axial movement of an adjacent component on the body.
One particular application in which ring members are required is in the construction of swellable packers. A swellable packer includes a mantle of swellable elastomeric material formed around a tubular body. The swellable elastomer can be selected to expand by increasing in volume on exposure to at least one triggering fluid, which can be a hydrocarbon fluid or an aqueous fluid. The design dimensions and swelling characteristics are selected such that the swellable mantle expands to create a fluid seal in the annulus, thereby isolating one wellbore section from another. Swellable packers have several advantages over conventional packers, including passive actuation, simplicity of construction, and robustness in long term isolation applications.
Commonly, a ring member is provided on either side of the swellable mantle. The ring member is secured to the main body of the tool, and is upstanding from the body. The ring member restricts or prevents axial movement of the swellable mantle on the body. It also provides stand-off protection for the swellable mantle and/or adjacent parts of the tool string during run-in. The ring member also provides an annular abutment surface for the swellable mantle which assists in reducing or preventing extrusion of the elastomer due to fluid pressure or pulling, i.e., downward, forces on the tubular. This improves the integrity of the seal provided by the packer.
A need exists for running a swell packer to the bottom of a well without the swell packer jamming or stopping midway.
A need exists for running a swell packer to the bottom of a well or to a target depth without the swell packer catching on the well midway down the borehole.
A need exists for an easy to install end ring for swell packers that allows the swell packers to be easily positioned at the target depth in a wellbore particularly for oil and natural gas wells.
The present embodiments meet these needs.
The present embodiments are detailed below with reference to the listed Figures.